Regulator



Sept. 14, 1943. J. F. PETERS 2,329,216

REGULATOR Filed Jan. 8, 1941 I ullllllln lllIIll- I IP- EllllllllllllllllhlHIHHIIIIIHIHI ,////m\\\\ ZM/n\\\\\\ J WITNESSES: I INVENTOR J i ATTORNEY v LW Patented Sept. 14, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT.OFFICE! REGULATOR John F. :Peters, Edg'ewood, Pa., asslgnor to West.-inghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company,

East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsyl- Application January 8,1941, Serial No. 313.700

, 2 Claims. (01. 74-388) My invention relates to an electricalregulating device, more specifically to a'regulating system foreilecting matching of speeds of two rotatable members.

An object of my invention is toprovide an electric regulator which isrelatively simple and inexpensive but which is highly reliable inoperation. I

Another object oi. my invention is to provide an electric regulator fora speed matching system which is substantially devoid of hunting andwhich has a step-by-step operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide an electric regulator fordriving a variable speed transmission device so as to match the speed ofone rotatable member with that of another rotatable member, whichregulator directly drives, to the exclusion of the variable speed means,an element 01' a control switch for the regulatin motor so as to eflectstoppage of the control movement very shortly after the regulating motorbegins to rotate.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study ofthe following specification when considered in conjunction with theaccompanying drawing, in which the figure is a schematic showing of thespeed matching system including a regulator which embodies theprinciples or my invention.-

Referring more particularly to the figure, numeral i denotes a constantspeed motor which drives a disk 2 which, in turn, drives a cylinder Ithrough a ball assembly drive 4. The speed and direction of rotation ofcylinder 3 is dependent upon the radial position or ball assembly drive4 with respect to the disk 2, which radial position is altered byrotation of the screw' threaded shaft 5 in either one direction or anopposite direction. Threaded shaft 5 is mechanically geared to aregulating motor 6. There is also mechanically coupled to the regulatingmotor 8, a pair oi contact members 'i and 8 or a reversing switch 9which are electrically connected to each or the reversely wound fieldwindings Ill and ,Ii 01 the motor through brush pose of changing thespeed ratio of the drive, or in other words the responsiveness ofcylinder H to the rotative movements of disk i4. Cylinders 3 and I1 aregeared through suitable bevel gears to sun gears l8 and I 9 of adifferential gear 20. When the speeds of gears I8 and iii are equal andopposite, the planetary gear system of the diiferential remainsstationary and there is no rotative output. However, when the speeds ofgears I8 and I9 are different, there will be a rotation of the planetarygear assembly which will rotate a gear 2i and contact member 22 ofreversing switch 9 rigidly secured thereto.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assume that cylinder II,which in effect is the controlling element of the system, increases inspeed beyond that of cylinder 3 or controlled element 3, thus causing arotative output of difierential 20 which will eifect contactingrelationship between contact members 22 and l. A circuit will thusbecome completed which may be traced from the right-hand terminal of asuitable energizing source indicated. by battery 23, through thearmature of the regulator, series field winding Ill, brush assembly i2,contact members i and 22, brush assembly 24, line switch 26 to theleft-hand side of battery 23. This will eiiect energization of motor 6in a direction that will cause outward radial movement of ball assemblydrive 4, so that cylinder 3 will speed up. The moment the motor beginsto rotate, it will drive a retrieving mechanism including worm gear 25so as to rotate contact members I and 8, in the same direction as 22 ata velocity in excess of the maximum velocity of contact member 22thereby effecting separation of contact members I and 22. If the speedsof gears l8 and I9 still remain different, contact -member 22 will againbe moved into engagement with contact member 1 so as to effect furtherrotation of the motor and further radial movement of ball assembly drive4 to further increase the speed of cylinder 3 which will again befollowed up by a retrieving movement of con,- tact members I and 8through the drive including worm gear 25. In this manner, it will beseen that a step-by-step regulation occurs which is substantially devoidof hunting. An outstanding feature of my invention'is that theretrieving movement of contact members I and 8 by the motor is effectedby a drive which is exclusive of the variable speed drive between disk 2and cylinder 3. As a consequence of this arrangement, the retrievingmovement of the regulating motor with respect to the contact members Iand 8 has an anticipating function in the control system. By excludingthe variable speed drive between disk 2 and cylinder 3 from thisretrieving drive, there is also excluded errors which might be caused byslippage in the ball assembly drive 4, and there is excluded thetendency to overshoot or hunt which would follow such slippage, In otherwords, the regulating motor 6 is stopped without the necessity ofawaiting a change in speed of cylinder 3 as caused by a change in ratioposition of ball assembly drive 4.

I am, of course, aware that others, particularly after having had thebenefit of the teachings of my inventionflnay devise other devicesembodying my invention, and I. therefore, do not wish to be limited tothe specific showings made in the drawing and the descriptive disclosurehereinbefore made, but wish to be limited only by the scope or theappended claims and such prior art that may be pertinent.

I claim as my invention:

1'. In a regulating device comprising, a control member rotated atvariable speeds, a controlled member rotated at a constant speed, speedchanging means for altering the value of said constant speed, anddiflerential means actuated by both said members, a regulating systemfor matching the speed 01' said controlled member with the speed of saidcontrol member compris ing, in combination, a positioning motor forcontrolling said speed changing means, contacting means having twocooperating contact elements for providing starting, stopping andreversin control of said positioning motor, the first of saidcooperating contact elements being actuated by the output of saiddiflerential, means whereby the second of said contact elements isdriven by said positioning motor upon engagement of said contactingelements at a velocity in excess or the maximum velocity of said firstcontact element to effect a rapid break action or said contact elementsthereby preventing said speed changing means from overshooting or'hunting.

2. A speed regulating system comprising, in combination, a rotatablevariable speed controlling element, a controlled element, a constantspeed disc, speed changing means interconnecting said constant speeddisc and said controlled element for rotating said controlled element, apositioning motor, diflerential means operated by both said controllingelement and said controlled element having an output proportional to thediflerence of speeds of said elements, contacting means providingstarting, stopping and reversing control oi said positioning motorcomprising a pair of coaxially disposed relatively rotatable contactingelements, one of said contacting elements being driven by the output ofsaid diflerential, means whereby the other of said contacting elementsis driven by said positioning motor, when said contacting elements arein engagement, at a. velocity in excess or the maximum velocity of saidfirst mentioned contacting element, and means mechanically engaging saidspeed changing means with said positioning motor-whereby said speedchanging means may be traversed completely across, and along a diameter0!, said constant speed disc to vary and reverse the speed of saidcontrolled element as indicated by said controlling element.

' JOHN F. PETERS.

